A Canaletto painting titled *Venice, the Bucintoro at the Molo on Ascension Day* (ca. 1754) will lead Christie’s Old Masters sale in New York this February 2026, with an estimate of over $30 million. The monumental canvas, commissioned by the King family (later Earls of Lovelace), is the last known version of this subject by the artist. It last sold at Christie’s 20 years ago during the Champalimaud Collection sale, setting a record. The work will tour exhibitions in New York, Hong Kong, and London before returning to New York for a pre-sale exhibition.
This sale matters because it reflects a broader trend of renewed interest in Old Masters among younger and crossover collectors, with auction houses successfully attracting clients from modern and contemporary categories. Christie’s reports that 80 percent of bidders in its Old Masters sales also participate in 20th- and 21st-century auctions, signaling fading boundaries between collecting areas. The offering follows a record $43.7 million sale of another Canaletto at Christie’s London earlier this year, underscoring the artist’s strong market momentum.